the // skyway \\ issue #83 (september 6, 2004) web page at www.theskyway.com send your submissions to skyway@novia.net list guy (stop by and say hi) matt@novia.net subscription info: send in the body of a message to majordomo@novia.net to subscribe: 'subscribe skyway' to unsubscribe: 'unsubscribe skyway' always thanks to bob fulkerson __________________________________________________________________________ September 6, 2004 0. One Wink At A Time. (m@.) I. Paul. II. Tommy. III. You. (Chris Buzzsaw, Jeff Wolf, Kyle Andrew, Derek Robertson, Arthur from Brazil, Sarah Flynn) __________________________________________________________________________ 0. ONE WINK AT A TIME What are you going to do? Ten years ago, I was a senior in college and I was asking the same question - hey, that's what I call progress. Except now I have a job and a parrot and the state I live in isn't landlocked. I thought I was going to get relocated and have some sort of UK Replacements fan convention in England this summer, but I got moved to a different project and now I just visit Switzerland occassionally. (I do not know if there are any Replacements fans in Switzerland. I cannot imagine in Switzerland the sort of emotional disatisfaction with life that you need to have experienced at some point to relate to The Replacements. I think of Switzerland as more of a jazz kind of place, but in a studied, academic way.) When I've been in Switzerland, I've travelled and gone scuba diving in more chaotic, sun-kissed places like Malta and Greece. Alas, again, I think they are too satisfied with life to relate to music written during the fifth month of winter in a basement the upper American Midwest. But if you are into techno, you are good to go until 5 a.m., at least. (There's pictures at http://www.pbase.com/tomich, but not of anything to do with techno.) In short, Tommy has a new album out, Paul is coming out with a new album, Tommy is on tour, it sounds like Paul is never going on tour. Then again, once his kid turns 13, you imagine even a recluse like Paul will want to find a way to get out of the house. I'll show up to a Westerberg show in 2014, yeah, no problem. - m@. __________________________________________________________________________ I. PAUL This Tuesday, September 7th, Paul Westerberg’s new record FOLKER is due out. However, if you live in a large metropolitan area that suffers ridiculous weather December through March, your consolation prize is that you can hear it today (Labor Day) because Vagrant Records is throwing some listening parties. Chicago Listening Party Sept 6th @ 9pm - FREE Schubas (http://www.schubas.com/calendar.asp?calmonth=9) 3159 N. Southport Chicago, IL Minneapolis Listening Party Sept 6th @ 6pm - FREE Grumpy’s Northeast (http://www.grumpysbar.com/nordeast.html) 2200 4th Street Minneapolis, MN New York Listening Party Sept 6th @ 6pm - FREE Piano’s (upstairs lounge)(http://www.pianosnyc.com/) 158 Ludlow Street New York, NY They’re giving away signed guitars at each of these events too. No joke! There's more info (i.e. people who actually know what they're talking about) at: http://www.vagrant.com/vagrant/headlines/headlines.jsp?headline_keyword=Paul%20Westerberg Folker track listing: 1. Jingle 2. When Will We Arrive? 3. My Dad 4. Looking Up In Heaven 5. Anyway's All Right 6. $100 Groom 7. 23 Years Ago 8. As Far As I Know 9. What About Mine? 10. How Can You Like Him? 11. New Life 12. Gun Shy 13. Folk Star Unfortunately, in regards to a tour, a recent Westerberg interview in billboard.com said that his touring days are "over, at least for now, until probably my son gets ot the age where he can lift my amps for me." However, he said that there will be some appearances, so maybe we will get an in-store or another couple of theater shows later this year. Here's some more insight: "Paul Westerberg releases more basement tapes on `Folker' JEFF BAENEN Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS - Half rocker, half folkie, Paul Westerberg straddles musical styles on his new CD, "Folker." The latest in a string of do-it-yourself projects recorded in his basement, "Folker" (available Sept. 7 on indie label Vagrant Records) features both pop confections such as "As Far As I Know" and guitar rave-ups such as the closing "Gun Shy" and "Folk Star." It's not a hard switch for Westerberg, who remembers bringing both his passion for rockabilly and a "secret love" of Jackson Browne and Joni Mitchell to the mix when he led the world's greatest garage band, the Replacements, in the 1980s. "Folker" also includes Westerberg's tribute "My Dad," about his father, Hal Westerberg, a Cadillac salesman who died last November at 85 after battling emphysema. It's followed by "Lookin' Up In Heaven," written about someone else but with similarities to his father's passing. "It's pretty personal, pretty personal stuff. Maybe the most I've let myself be heard, laid my soul on the line here," Westerberg said as he smoked an occasional cigarette outside a south Minneapolis coffee shop. In his low voice, Westerberg, 44, talked about his recent attempt to re-form the Replacements for a benefit; his work on music for an animated Sony Pictures film; his 6-year-old son Johnny; and his own struggle with depression and anxiety. At the end of the interview, Westerberg hopped on an old bicycle and pedaled away. AP: What do you like about recording at home? Is it just comfortable for you? Westerberg: It's convenient, I guess. But I mean, I'm doing all the engineering, and I flip the tape on and then have to hop over one drum set and crawl around the back and knock over the lamp and knock over a mike and try to get there in time for the count-off. And it's a challenge a lot. And that's a lot of where some of my sounds, they'll say, "Ooh, how'd you get this?" and it's like, "The mike was in front of the amp when I pressed the button. By the time I strapped the guitar on, it was on the floor, three feet away." So, happy accidents, kinda. AP: Did you see Tommy (Stinson, former Replacements bassist who now plays for Guns N' Roses) when he was in town? Westerberg: No, no. (laughs) We exchange messages. It's like our last flurry was, I think that, I spoke to him through an old friend. What I did is I tried to get the band together to play a benefit (for Soul Asylum bassist Karl Mueller, who's recovering from throat cancer) and needless to say not all three members were willing or had time. AP: Could it still come off? Westerberg: Anything's possible, but I don't see it happening right now. You know, I've dreamt about it, thought about, I mean, literally dreamt about it, where I woke up in a cold sweat. AP: How do you think it would go? Would it be a disaster? Westerberg: It would be wondrous disaster. I think we'd all retain what we had to begin with, and it would be a blast. It would be a lot of hard work, I think mostly for me, to go back and relearn the songs and the words. ... A little bit easier for them, maybe, to kind of just thumb along. AP: What's the movie? Westerberg: It's an animated feature. I won't even say the name, you know, because they'll (Sony) probably call me and yell at me or something. ... It's a major, major deal, so that's why I've gotta keep quiet, and you know, its release is set for years away. ... It's going to allow me to make any record I wanna make one day, again. AP: Is your son musical? Westerberg: Yeah, he's musical in an odd, sort of savant way. I've given him like a little guitar and a ukulele someone bought him, and there's a keyboard for him. He doesn't seem to be drawn to playing music as much as he's into who is this and how long is it. AP: Would you steer him away from a music career? Westerberg: No, not if he showed the fire. I would definitely tell him the downsides of what to look out for. For example, we were watching "Jailhouse Rock" last night, and the scene where Elvis brings in his demonstration record, and the guy takes it and has his own artist copy it and rips Elvis off. And I was saying to him, "Johnny, watch this!" And he was drawing, actually. So he prefers art, which is fine by me. AP: Did your dad approve of your being a musician? Westerberg: He would get a kick when he would see the family name in the paper. He never thought I was working unless I was on tour or I was performing. He didn't understand the other, writing songs and making records and getting paid for making the record. He only understood live performances as being that's you're at work. AP: But your dad never saw you perform? Westerberg: No, I even played on his birthday, here, for those shows at the Guthrie (Theater), and for some odd reason he had me like autograph (laughs) the ticket for him, 'cause "That's all I want." Because he must have gotten great pressure from everyone else, like, "Aren't you going to see him?" And it's like, I've always maintained - and I still to this day - I'm perfectly fine that he never came to my office and watched me work, you know? It kept it pure that I was his son, that I was no more than the little boy he played catch with, who now plays catch with his son. AP: How's your coping with, you know ... Westerberg: (melodramatic whisper) Death? ... I mean, I guess I have a responsibility. I'm not like I was. I mean, I don't want to die, and I certainly have a son I want to be around for. Sometimes I was the playground monitor and assistant coach of the baseball team and the soccer team. So I'm like living things, doing things I never thought I would have done, ever. AP: How do you feel? Westerberg: I'm far enough on the side of depression and anxiety that they really can't treat me without me having to suffer an episode of one of the two almost all the time. ... But whenever I see my son, my mood brightens and if he wants me to come to the Christmas play, and I feel like killing myself, it's like, dammit, I'll go to the play and watch it and enjoy it. So he's been a great addition to my life, I think." __________________________________________________________________________ II. TOMMY Meanwhile, Tommy Stinson has released his solo debut "Village Gorilla Head" on Sanctuary records. He recorded the album last year in Charles Thompson’s (aka Frank Black) studio in LA with help from Westerberg touring alumnus drummer Josh Freese, his brother Jason Freese on saxophone, Dave Philips from Frank Black & the Catholics on guitar, GNR guitarist Richard Fortus and Dizzy Reed on keyboards. Village Gorilla Head track listing: 1. Without a View 2. Moment Too Soon 3. Someday 4. Something's Wrong 5. Motivation 6. Village Gorilla Head 7. Hey You 8. Bite Your Tongue 9. Light of Day 10. O.K. 11. Couldn't Wait Tommy Stinson is currently on tour with Alien Crime Syndicate (which includes members of the sadly defunct Meices) as his backing band. Go see the rock and yell out requests for "Paradise City": Aug 28 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill Aug 30 San Diego, CA Casbah Aug 31 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland Sept. 1 Phoenix, AZ Rhythm Room Sept. 2 Denver, CO Bluebird Sept. 3 Omaha, NB Ranch Bowl Sept. 4 Minneapolis, MN Uptown Bar Sept. 5 Minneapolis, MN Uptown Bar Sept. 7 Chicago, IL WXRT ON AIR RADIO PERFORMANCE Sept. 7 Chicago, IL Double Door Sept. 8 Detroit, MI Magic Stick Sept. 9 Toronto, CANADA Horseshoe Tavern Sept. 10 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop Sept. 11 Pittsburgh, PA The World Sept. 13 Philadelphia, PA North Star Bar Sept. 14 Cambridge, MA T.T. the Bears Sept. 15 New York, NY Mercury Lounge Sept. 16 Baltimore. MD Ottobar Sept. 17 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's Sept. 20 Manchester, UK Manchester Academy 3 Sept. 21 Edinburgh, Scotland Liquid Rooms Sept. 22 Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow Garage Sept. 23 Belfast, Ireland Limelight Sept. 24 Dublin, Ireland Village Sept. 26 Leeds, UK The Cockpit Sept. 27 Newcastle, UK Cluney Sept. 28 Sheffield, UK Fez Club Sept. 29 Camden, London, UK Electric Ballroom Sept. 30 Nottingham, UK Rescue Rooms Oct. 1 Reading, UK Fez Club Oct. 2 Birmingham, UK Birmingham Academy 2 Tommy Solo European Acoustic Tour Oct. 4 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg Oct. 5 Paris, France TBA Oct. 6 Brussels, Belgium Rotunde @ Botanique Oct. 7 Coppenhagen, Denmark @ Loppen Oct. 8 Aarhus, Denmark @ Vox Hall Oct. 9 Lund, Sweden @ Majariet Oct. 10 Gothenberg, Sweden @ Pusterviskbaren Oct. 11 Stockholm, Sweden @ Debaser Oct. 13 Oslo, Norway @ John Dee Also, the final unreleased Perfect album, Seven Days a Week has been re-titled "to reflect the LP's troubled history (three labels and three release dates that never came)", Once, Twice, Three Times a Maybe. It will be released by Rykodisc on September 14. About freakin' time. From: sjconro Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: Tommy article Ex-Replacement's gig is for the kids BY MOLLY PRIESMEYER Special to the Pioneer Press When Tommy Stinson was a mere middle-schooler, he was performing in rowdy bars and on college campuses as the bassist in the Minneapolis band the Replacements. Now a proud parent of a middle-schooler himself, Stinson is returning to his home turf for his record-release show for "Village Gorilla Head." The show doubles as a benefit for all-ages club Twin Cities Underground in South Minneapolis, which gives young bands the opportunity to play for a group of peers instead of bored drunks. "My daughter and ex-wife and I went to the Twin Cities Underground and saw my daughter's friend play a while back," Stinson says. "We all just had such a hoot. It wasn't like a little underage place that was all geeked out. It was just normal kids that were having a good time, and they all had their vibe on." Don't expect the show to sound anything like the Replacements or Stinson's previous bands -- Perfect and Bash and Pop. Stinson says this record of self-penned material was created without trying to please anyone but himself. "It's me not trying to be something I'm not," he says. "Not that I was trying to be something I wasn't when I was in Perfect, but Perfect was a band of guys trying to get out there and do it, try to compete with what was going on." The album, written mostly over the past five years, covers themes from relationship hardships to professional hardships. "It's more introspective and honest than I've been," he says. "As self-indulgent and over-the-top as it might be at times for someone who is a Replacements fan, it was the record I felt like I wanted to make." Speaking of overindulgent and professional hardships, what's the deal with Stinson's other band, Guns 'N Roses and its oft-delayed album, "Chinese Democracy?" "That record has taken so long because it's a collaboration of eight people, and a few before I even got in the room," he says. "It's a great process. It just takes longer." Despite all the fuss, delays, legal battles and press beatings, Stinson has only good things to say about GNR lead singer Axl Rose. "When it comes to working with him, he's a collaborator, and that makes it interesting. He's easier to work with than (Replacements frontman) Paul Westerberg. And I'm not saying that to be an a--hole, either." It sounds like the idea for a Minneapolis-only show featuring Westerberg, Stinson and Chris Mars is as likely as "Chinese Democracy" coming out before 2008. "I don't know," Stinson says of a one-time reunion. "I doubt it would happen. And I say that because I can't see Chris Mars doing it. Of all of us and our nonsense, I think he's the guy who would most likely not do it. It would have to be a really good reason to do it. And I haven't found one yet." Molly Priesmeyer is a Twin Cities freelance writer. __________________________________________________________________________ III. You From: IMFkiller1965@aol.com Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 19:36:32 EDT Subject: How I discovered The Replacements The short version: Nov 1984. I was 18. I'd never heard of the Mats. A friend of mine tells me I'd like them. They were to play in a few days, here in Rockford IL. He plays me Hootenanny. I'm underage but go early to the place of the show and ask if the band is around. The guy putting the show says come back in an hour. I do and he takes me down and introduces me to Paul, who is drinking out of a gallon of vodka, asking for cups and ice. Tommy is spray painting his shoes red on newspaper laughing it up. Bob starts showing Paul a kiss sticker on his baby blue strat, asking him if he's jealous. He says, "Are you from a fanzine? Do you want to talk?" "Sure," I say, kinda surprised at the invite right off the bat. We go up to the bar and bullshit about Johnny Thunders and Alice Cooper. He asks me Cheap Trick questions. (They are from Rockford, easily spotted around town.) This lasts about an hour. He says "I gotta go do sound check. Wanna listen?' You bet! At sound check they play Favorite Thing (unreleased until the following week) and I'm 18. (We had been discussing the virtues of Alice Cooper. Sound check is over and Paul comes over and tells me it's nice to meet me but he's gotta go. He'll see me at the show. No he won’t I tell him. He looks surprised and asks why. It's 21 & over. He raises his eyebrows and tells me he didn't know but if I come down for the show ask for him. He will get me in. I don't believe him but I go back down later and sure enough Paul is by the door. "Hey! You made it!" he says, "This guy is with me" he tells the doorman. In I walk. Paul tells me he's gotta get ready to play, enjoy the show and winks. He splits. When they play they open with Cheap Trick’s "He's a Whore", followed by "I'm 18" dedicated to "all the under-agers in the crowd." I saw them again several months later in Dekalb IL. Walking into the room I hear "Hey! Rockford !" right behind me. I turn to see Paul grinning. He remembered me. A very cool introduction to an enduring favorite band. Chris Buzzsaw Rockford IL From: flipphead@charter.net Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 22:00:29 -0500 I had the pleasure of meeting Bob in the early 90's. The first time I met him, it was at the CC Club for drinks (of course). My then girlfriend and Bob were old friends. It just so happened that the SNL performance [of Bastards of Young] was on Comedy Central a few days before this meeting and at the time I was not a fan and it was my first exposure to the band. I asked Bob about his attire for show. He told me that the entire band had agreed to wear the "goofy clown suits" - the joke was on him, no one else wore theirs. I had a few other run-ins with Bob that I will never forget, but I thought you might want to know that outfit. Jeff Wolf From: "kyle andrew" Subject: lovelines Date: Thu, 08 Jul 2004 22:17:43 +0000 I don't know what it is about the Mats that makes everyone love them. It's either the bittersweet-yet hopeful feeling in all of their songs, or the way Paul puts so much feeling into all of his vocals. Of course, this is coming from a person who's never seen them live, so it could be Bob's strange dressing patterns or their legend-creating drunkenness. I think all Mats songs are divided into three groups: 1.Fun Hard Rock Songs 2.Sad Looking back songs (usually the last songs on the records) 3. The songs with that feeling, I can't even describe it. Hold My Life, Sixteen Blue, Color Me Impressed, Can't Hardly Wait. All the beautiful melodies and I don't know how in the hell to describe it. These are the types of songs that people fall in love with the mats for, it's really the sound that makes you fall in love. The Replacements sound is the best way to put it. Call me crazy, but you can hear a hint of their trademark sound in "Fuck School". "fuuuucckk my schoool" the way he sings it, I really can't describe it. But the cool thing is, I'm sure anyone who loves the 'Mats would know exactly what I'm talking about. The mats are just one of those bands that everyone falls in love with. Of course there could be a ton of sub-categories, but oh well. What sucks is, I've spent so much time thinking about the mats and I know I have millions of questions, but as I'm writing this I can't really think of anything to say. I just could think of "The Replacements sound". Oh -- I think the only reason The Replacements are listed as influencing The Strokes is because they borrow that Replacements sound in almost all of their songs, the kind of bittersweet thing. And some of their guitar lines sound the same. Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2004 15:52:33 -0700 (PDT) From: Derek Robertson Subject: rambling on for the first time Hi don't have to much exciting things to say like everyone else but I'll go on anyway. I'm from and still live right outside of Charlotte, NC. I'm only nineteen years old and have only listened to the Replacements for about two years now, but they are without a doubt my favorite band and I have loved them since the very first time I heard it. It was Let it Be that I first heard. My buddy played the record and I was amazed that was playing such a thing because we were a couple of punk ass kids. Listened to nothing but hardcore punk like G.B.H, Subhumans, Blitz - you know stuff like that. I was always really open minded but not so many of my friends, this why I was surprised to hear him play something like Let it Be. I loved it and got him to play it every time I came over. I was kind of burned out on the punk rock thing, listening to it for the better part of seven years. I started getting into all different types of music and was not content with the same old punk shows anymore. I first picked up Let It Be of course because I was just hooked on it, but started getting there stuff. I got the rest of the CD's in the order they came out. First getting Sorry Ma, finding out that it was a cd that both my punk rock friends and I could both enjoy. Stink wasn't so great but "Kids Don't Follow" and "Go" are good songs. Then came "Hootenanny" which is still a fun album to listen to now. When I became obsessed with the Mats was when I got "Tim". It is and will always be my favorite record of all time. It was the most amazing thing I had ever heard and already has memories to what was going on in my life when I first got it. I continued to get all the rest of the albums, falling in love with each one at a time. I did the same thing with Westerberg's solo albums and I can't for Folker to come out! I would die to see him play live but I'm sure that won't happen. I got into Bash n Pop and Perfect which are plenty good bands. Tommy's new solo album is great, I wasn't expecting it to have a Frank Black feel to it. Well I guess that's all I got to say. I know what your thinking, this guy is just a kid and he's boring as hell well I'm sorry I just love The Replacements. thanks, derek Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 21:49:05 -0300 Subject: Arthur from Brazil - Help Hello! My name is Arthur and I live in Brazil. I'm trying to play on guitar the song "Never Felt Like This Before", from Paul's album "Come Feel Me Tremble". I know it might be easy...but as a drummer, I can't get the chords right...especially cause it's all on piano! Do you know the chords to this song? Also...the lyrics are simple but I can't get right the last line! Thanks a lot for the attention Arthur Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2004 14:49:36 -0700 (PDT) From: sarah flynn Sender: dear23@slumberland.org From: "Liesbeth Rijnierse" Subject: Ken covers Mats From Ken Stringfellow of The Posies: " I recorded a version of the Replacements' song 'Kids Don't Follow' for a tribute record being released at some point by a label in Sweden." [I can't wait to hear what that sounds like.] fin. "The better the singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying." - David Byrne